Report: Switzerland still in play for Mitch Marner without contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up for their training camp starting Friday in St. John's, Newfoundland. Well, most of them are. Mitch Marner remains unsigned, and is rumoured to be seriously considering his playing options overseas.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, someone notably close to the situation, Marner will head to Switzerland later this month to skate if nothing changes with his contract standoff.

"If Toronto and the Marner camp can't come to terms before the start of the regular season or training camp, and training camp as we know is looming this week, then he's got to decide, is he going over to Europe and is he going to continue to skate in Zurich, Switzerland?" The insider told TSN Radio 1050 Toronto Monday morning.

"And unless something changes, and a lot can change very quickly as I keep suggesting here, but unless something changes, I believe his plan is to go to Switzerland maybe the third week of this month.”

Dreger also added that Marner and free agent Matthew Tkachuk might skate at the OHL's London Knights facility this week as they’re both without contracts approaching training camps.

As Dreger mentioned, things could turnaround quickly if one side was willing to budge on the rumoured $9 to $11-million contract offer that James Mirtle of The Athletic reported earlier in August.